


Tread

by Iamnamedsilence



Series: Inktober 2019 prompts stories [23]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Inktober 2019, The Multiverse Theory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 11:15:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21160757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iamnamedsilence/pseuds/Iamnamedsilence
Summary: It was always a dungeon. With lots of monsters to kill, only in worlds other than her own getting payment was more difficult – and the medallion had wrong reactions far too often, adjusted to the magic specific for the place she came from, not to the places she visited.From the short stories series written for Inktober 2019 prompts.





	Tread

**Author's Note:**

> Listen I still don't know what happened but somehow I keep writing weird crossovers. But some of my friends surprisingly wanted to see more of them....

It was some kind of a dungeon, Ciri noted.

It was always a dungeon. With lots of monsters to kill, only in worlds other than her own getting payment was more difficult – and the medallion had wrong reactions far too often, adjusted to the magic specific for the place she came from, not to the places she visited.

But she didn’t need the medallion to sense the danger. There was something walking not very far away, footsteps loud and heavy, something big. There was a foul smell in the corridor: rotten flesh and disease.

She cursed. This was not a place she hoped to land in. Was Elran even around? Was it even his world?

She let the large creature pass and walked, slowly. The corridor was part cavern, part built structure, the design looked like something she had already seen. There were carving on the walls, mostly geometric ornaments, even the floor was carved. Someone had done lots of work in this place, but Ciri could bet it was abandoned, forgotten and overridden by monsters.

She pressed herself against the wall as she heard more footsteps. Those were lighter, more quiet, careful as her. She looked from behind the corner to see a slender silhouette of a man. He was holding a sword and looking around. Then he stopped, listening.

In the dim light emanating from the cracks between the walls, Ciri saw a familiar face: sharp chin, long nose, pale skin covered in tattoos.

She moved, carefully, so that Elran could see her.

He stopped, then breathed out, relieved.

„Swallow”

„Elran. Where are we?”

He shook his head, followed her to her hiding place.

„You jumped here?”

Ciri nodded.

„I concentrated on you. It worked.”

Elran sighted.

„I’m happy to see you, even if it’s not the best time for meeting friends.”

„I see. And hear” she added, as the loud, slow footsteps of a large thing sounded again in the corridor.

Elran clung to the wall, he was breathing heavily, Ciri noticed bruises, scratches and bloodstains on his body and armor. Most of this blood wasn’t probably his, but sam definitely was.

„What is happening?” she asked.

„I had to retrieve something for my sister and...” he shivered. „We stumbled upon something we were not prepared to meet. The others are dead. At least I hope they are, because the alternative...”

He was terrified, at least at much as someone such well trained as he could be. He held himself together because that was what he was doing.

„Swallow,” he said. „Have you ever fought a god?”

She tried to think. There were several creatures she met that would be glad to be called gods.

„Depends on what you call a god.”

Elran nodded.

„Right. This is… I hope this is not what I’m afraid it is, but.. I don’t want to drag you into this, Swallow.”

„I can always drag you out” she offered. „You have what you came here for?”

„Not exactly. But if I managed to kill this… this...”

„The thing that is walking out there.” Ciri guessed.

Elran nodded.

„Not that I would be able to,” he said, shaking his head. „It took my sister a long time to kill another one of them and they never die easily, and I’m alone… we are alone.” he corrected „And I don’t want to drag you further in the matters of...”

He went silent because the footsteps closed and a long shadow was now seen outside their hideout.

The creature approached and now Ciri could see it, the silhouette of something that once was human, ornaments, and flesh fused into one, body parts slightly misplaced.

She reached out for her sword, an urge, an instinct of someone with her training, of the role she performed in her world. This monstrous thing was dangerous and should die.

Elran shook his head.

They don’t die easily. It took my sister for a long time.

She had no knowledge, no preparation to deal with this thing: she should leave it to the people of Elran’s world.

The being turned its head, slowly, noticing them.

Ciri made a decision.

„You wanted a trip, right? Prepare to jump” she said, taking Elran's hand and dragging him over the border of the worlds.

It was some kind of a dungeon. It was always a dungeon. This one didn’t smell though and its walls weren’t covered in ornaments.

Elran breathed out.

„Where are we?” He asked.

„I have no idea” Ciri admitted. The hand she didn’t use to hold her friend was still on the hilt of her sword. „That thing was one of that darkspawn, right?”

As she visited Elran’s world the last time she had only heard stories of the blight and tainted creatures, she had never actually seen one.

„It was more than that” Elran said.

He was still alert, watching the surrounding. Ciri understood it.

„There is much you have to tell me.”

„You have no idea,” he said „Many things happened and my world might be… well, close to bad times. And this one… this was an ancient evil.”

„Oh just great,” someone said. „I have enough of ancient evils, really.”

They looked the way they heard the voice.

In front of them stood a young woman. She was frowning.

„All right, I guess you are not larpers occupying the base,” she said. „So what the fuck are you doing here – and where are you from? And what about ancient evils, because I’ve helped to kill one recently and I really don’t want to meet more for now.”


End file.
